The King of Hearts
by j3swimmer
Summary: AU for 3.10. Arthur decides that he will leave with Gwen, no matter what his father says. So, with Merlin's help, they manage to break free, and run to Haldor to start a new life together. Unfortunately, this doesn't go so well as Gwen begins to fall for Lancelot, and Arthur starts to realize he left his hear back in Camelot, with a certain dark-haired manservant.
1. Chapter 1: Stumbling into Love

**AN: Hi! I finished the first chapter of the fic I said I would be working on next! Look at that, maybe I can keep to a schedule, and not jump in with random creepy stories! Or, maybe I can't as I am also trying something new and working on two stories at once. So, should be interesting. If it takes slightly longer to update that might be the reason why, but I will try to work on these two stories pretty evenly.**

**This fic shouldn't be too long, I'm thinking six or seven chapters, if all goes to plan. It takes place in Season 3, Episode 10: The Queen of Hearts, changing about half-way in. Sorry Arthur is kind of a dick in this chapter. He will get better, I swear. And Merthur will be happening. As well as some whump, eventually...**

**Anyhoo, enough of that. I have stories to write. So, as always, I don't own Merlin. Not even a little bit.**

**Thanks for reading!**

Chapter 1: Stumbling into Love

It had seemed so sudden.

One day, after serving Arthur breakfast, Merlin had realized the feelings he had for his prince were more than just those of a servant to a master, of even what one would feel towards a friend. He had been laying out Arthur's clothes for the day when he peered around the open cabinet door at the prince. Even just after waking, Arthur was perfect. His golden hair caught the light from the window, giving Arthur the appearance of having a halo. It was sticking up in a strange little tuft on the right side, undoubtedly where Arthur's head had been pressed against his pillows, which made the prince appear almost 'cute.' Merlin was pretty sure he would be in the stocks for most of the week if he described Arthur as 'cute' out loud, but there really was no other way to describe the bed-headed prince. Arthur's white sleep shirt hung loosely over his perfectly toned pecks, the opening at the top to give a small glimpse at the smooth, bronze skin that lay beneath, and though his blue eyes were still hazy with sleep, they were still deep and piercing, and Merlin was quite certain that he could spend hours, maybe even days, staring into them. As he looked into them he couldn't help but notice every pattern, every perfect petal stretching away from the pupil and towards the smooth, bronzed skin of his prince's face.

As Merlin watched Arthur sleepily consume his breakfast, Merlin realized that somehow he had fallen in love with the man who was his destiny.

The more he thought about it, the more he realized that it hadn't been sudden at all; it had just taken him a while to figure out what his feelings really meant. The pains in his chest each time he saw Arthur with someone else. The fluttering in his stomach when Arthur would reach out to grab his shoulder or his fingers would brush against his as he refilled a goblet or handed him his sword. The absolute horror he experienced each time Arthur's life was in danger. At first he had figured that these were merely feelings produced by the great destiny the shared, pulling him and Arthur closer together so they could accomplished what fate had in store for them. But, as he watched Arthur sleepily chew the bread, cheese, meat, and fruits Merlin had brought him, he began to realize that he had been completely wrong, and that he had been in love with the prince almost since he first laid eyes on him.

What should he do? He loved the prince! He was a SORCERER in love with the prince of CAMELOT! He probably had some type of crazy death wish. But he couldn't simply stop loving Arthur, nor could he bear the thought of leaving him. What if something happened while he was away? He couldn't let Arthur get hurt, not while he had the power to stop it. He couldn't let Arthur know his feelings either, though, as Arthur could never return his feelings and might even send him away if he knew.

So, he would have to hide his feelings. That couldn't be too difficult, right?

* * *

Hiding his feelings proved to be much more difficult than Merlin had ever imagined. It definitely did not help that not long after Merlin made his realization Arthur began to fall for Gwen. It hurt more than he would admit to give Arthur council when he worried about his feelings for the serving girl, and Merlin often caught himself glaring at the girl who he thought of as his first friend in Camelot as she flirted and laughed with Arthur. So, when Arthur announced that he would be taking Gwen on a picnic and needed Merlin to gather the supplies and escort Gwen to the meeting place at an hour passed sunrise the next day, Merlin found it quite difficult to carry out his orders. He did, of course, and kept a smile on his face as he watched his friend leave for something he could only dream of doing. When Arthur saw Gwen and his gaze lit up Merlin had to squash the jealous beast in his chest. It took all his self control not to use some tiny, harmless spell that could make Gwen burp or trip or whatever else would cast her from Arthur's sights so he could finally have his prince to himself. But, he didn't, turning away from the man of his dreams and hurrying back to the castle before he did something he would regret.

When Merlin saw Arthur being escorted back into the castle by Uther, he could help but feel slightly hopeful. Uther wouldn't allow his son to be with a maid, so maybe Arthur would leave Guinevere, opening up the possibility of Merlin finding his way into Arthur's heart. Of course, this logic was slightly skewed, as if Uther would not allow his son to be with a maid, he most certainly would not allow his son to be with a manservant. Merlin crushed his own dreams as soon as they had risen, and went about trying to be the friend both Gwen and Arthur would need at this difficult time in their relationship.

Merlin had not expected Gwen to be accused of magic. And even if it was nice imaging what could happen with her out of the picture, he definitely didn't want her dead, which was exactly what was going to happen if he didn't do something quickly. As Uther expected Arthur of being under a love spell, the prince wouldn't be able to help him, so Merlin rushed down to his room to discuss the problem with Gaius.

* * *

It had taken him awhile, but Arthur managed to get his guards to take him down to see Gaius. He had made up some story about feeling dizzy and nauseous, and, thinking it was a side effect of the poultice, the guards had taken him down to the physician's quarters. Keeping his voice down so as not to arouse suspicion in the guards waiting outside, Arthur burst into the chambers, saying, "We've got to save Guinevere!"

"I know, Arthur." Merlin replied, "And we will. Gaius and I have been trying to figure out who could have planted the poultice that was found in your bed, and once we do that we can prove that Gwen was innocent."

When Merlin reminded him of the poultice, a shred of doubt crept into Arthur. He knew he had feelings for Guinevere, or at least he thought he knew he did. He had been the victim of a love spell twice before, and did not want his emotions to be toyed with again. So, trying his best to hide the doubt from his own voice, Arthur asked, "You don't think I've really been put under a love spell do you?"

"No." Merlin replied quickly. "I have been changing your bed sheets practically every day since I got to Camelot, and I have never seen anything like that before. You've been in love with Gwen for much longer than the spell could have been in effect, as the poultice could only have been planted today."

Arthur nodded, a wave of relief sweeping over him. That did make sense.

"Do you have any leads yet?" Arthur asked, praying that they had discovered something that could save Guinevere. Arthur was slightly confused as Merlin caught Gaius' eye and they shared a knowing glance before he turned back and said, "No… we haven't found anything yet…"

Arthur began pacing the small space near the door. He wanted to _do_ something. Fight the people threatening _his_ Guinevere. Unfortunately that was his father, and, although he did want to rescue Guinevere, he was not quite sure he would kill his father for her. So, he settled down, and asked, "Where do we start?

"Well," Merlin said in a matter-of-fact way, "first we need to figure out why someone would want to frame Gwen."

"I don't know!" Arthur said. "It doesn't make any sense. She's kind, gentle, and beautiful. She would never hurt a fly unless she had a bloody good reason to-"

"And you're in love with her." Merlin interrupted, looking strangely downcast. Arthur shook of the worry about his manservant's sudden change in mood and said, "Yes, but no one knows that besides us."

"And Morgana." Merlin mumbled, casting Gaius another knowing glance before continuing on, "Maybe someone else found out and wanted to hurt her to get to you."

"But then it could be anyone!" Arthur said, throwing his hands up in frustration, "This will take too long!"

Merlin looked nervous but determined as he grabbed Arthur's shoulder and said, "It's the best we can do so, for now, we will have to make it work."

Arthur shook off Merlin's hand, turning away from the other two in the room and towards the wall. This was most definitely not the best they could do! He knew this castle better than most of the knights and all of the guards, he could get Guinevere out without anyone noticing. He couldn't do it on his own though, he would need someone to distract the guards and his father while he got Guinevere out. He turned back to Gaius and Merlin, but did not announce his plan quite yet. Gaius may be worried about Guinevere's safety, but he probably wouldn't agree to Arthur's slightly more drastic plan. Now he just needed to a way to get Merlin out without Gaius' becoming suspicious.

"Merlin," Arthur said, turning back to the two occupants of the room. "Why don't you come back to my chambers with me? We can look for clues there while Gaius tries to think of any enemies who might have done this."

Merlin's disappointed look confused Arthur, as his manservant replied, "Maybe I should stay with Gaius, you can go look for clues and then I can come up and tell you what we've thought of when I bring your dinner."

Why would Merlin want to stay with Gaius, Arthur thought, staring at his enigma of a manservant. Usually he was over-nosey, always poking around where he shouldn't be when strange things were happening in Camelot. What was different now? He tried to send Merlin a meaningful glare, hoping that Merlin got his sense of urgency as he said, "_Mer_-lin, I think you will be more help with me. Plus, I say you come with me, and I'm the prince, so you do as I say."

Merlin rolled his eyes, looking apologetically back at Gaius before mumbling something that sounded a lot like 'prat' and following Arthur out of the physician's chambers.

* * *

Sometimes Merlin wondered how he had fallen in love with such a clot pole. Now was definitely one of those times. He needed to talk to Gaius. They could come up with a way to save Gwen, with the help of his magic, of course. Searching Arthur's chambers would do no good as he already knew, or at least had a very good idea, of who had planted the poultice, Morgana. Ever since she had returned, she had been so different from the girl he had once known, but he had to admit he was surprised she would turn on Gwen. She and Gwen had always seemed like such good friends, but maybe she had realized Gwen was starting to get suspicious, or just didn't care who she hurt as long as she also accomplished her goals. It was terrifying to see just how much she had changed.

Merlin was literally pulled from his thoughts when Arthur grabbed his arm and yanked him into his chambers. Arthur didn't make any move to start looking for clues; instead he walked over to the window, looking down to the courtyard where a pyre was being constructed. After waiting in silence for a brief moment, Arthur turned, staring directly at Merlin, and said, "We are going to free Gwen."

Merlin just gave him a confused look, and replied, saying "I know, Arthur. Shouldn't we start looking for clues?" Merlin wanted to finish helping Arthur as quickly as possible so he could get back to Gaius and start working on his real plans before anything worse happened.

"No." Arthur said, looking Merlin directly in the eyes, "I mean we are breaking her out."

"What!" Merlin exclaimed trying to keep his voice lowered so the guards outside Arthur's doors wouldn't hear him. "You can't be serious! Shouldn't we focus on proving her innocent? We still have some time that should only be a last resort. If she runs, she won't be able to live in Camelot. You wouldn't be able to see her anymore. Are you sure you've thought this through, Arthur?"

"Yes, _Mer_-lin. This is the only way we can save her. Don't you see? Even if we did find the true culprit, my father wouldn't just let her go. He would be too proud, and no amount of evidence we could somehow find in one night could convince him to change his mind."

Merlin frowned. Arthur had a good point. He couldn't help remembering what had happened with Gwaine only a few weeks ago. He had been banished, even when it had been proven that he was only working to save Arthur. But, if anything went wrong with Arthur's attempt at rescue, Uther wouldn't hesitate to kill Gwen.

"Arthur," Merlin said cautiously, "I understand what you mean, but what if Gwen gets caught? Uther would order the knights to kill her on sight, and nothing could help her then."

"She won't get caught," Arthur said with a strange amount of confidence, "Because I will be going with her."

"What!" Merlin really did shout that time. That couldn't happen. Arthur had to stay. How would he fulfill his destiny if Arthur wasn't here? "You can't leave, Arthur, you're the prince! What about your people, your kingdom!"

"Why not!" Arthur said back. "All my life I have had to work for the kingdom, put aside my happiness for the people. Why can't I do what I want? The people will be fine without me, and the kingdom will not fall simply because I am gone. Why can't I just be normal?"

Merlin sighed. He knew the feeling. There had been so many times when he had wondered what it would be like to live without the constant pressures of destiny and burdens of his powers. What it would be like to be normal. He looked sadly back up at his prince, who could still have a normal life, with the woman he loved, if he left behind his duty and his home, and said, "I'm sorry, Arthur, but are you sure this is the best thing to do? Where would you go? What would you do?"

"Does it matter?" Arthur asked in return. "We would be together. And that is what is important."

Merlin sighed again. How he wished Arthur would say things like that about him. But this incident had only served to further his proof that Arthur could never be his. And he knew that tone. No matter what he said, Arthur wouldn't change his mind, so he decided he would do his best to help the man he loved live the life he wanted.

"Alright." Merlin said quietly, "How are we going to get you out?"

* * *

Arthur's plan was relatively simple. Merlin would distract the king and the knights, telling them that there was some type of beast in attacking the lower town, and Arthur would break Gwen out while Camelot's army was preoccupied chasing down some fictional creature. First, though, Arthur would need a way to get past the guards outside his chambers. They had decided that the best way to do that would be for them to make a make-shift rope from the sheets, then, while Merlin went down to collect Arthur's dinner; Arthur would make it appear that he had left the room, escaping through the window. When Merlin returned, he would act completely surprised at the apparent lack of prince in the room, alert the guards, who would of course come to investigate, and be focused on the rope out the window, not the men behind them who would hopefully be able to knock them out without much fuss. Once they had the sheets all knotted together, Merlin left, rushing down to the kitchens. He returned, dropped the food, and ran back out to lead the two unprepared guards into the room. This worked spectacularly, so leaving two unconscious guards and a good amount of food on the floor, Arthur and Merlin left the room to work on the rest of their plan. As Arthur was about to turn and run, Merlin stopped him, grabbing a hold of his arm and saying, "Go to a town called Haldor. It is just over the border to the east. Lancelot lives there, he should at least be able to find you someplace to stay, maybe even work. If that doesn't work, try Ealdor. I'm sure my mother will help you until you can find work and a place of your own. And be careful Arthur. I will always be here if you ever choose to return and take your rightful place as king."

Arthur nodded, looking at Merlin as if he had never really seen him before, then pulled the warlock into a hug, surprising him quite a bit. Arthur then said, "I will be back, someday. Thank you for everything Merlin. You might have been a lousy manservant, but you are a good friend."

Merlin smiled, and replied, "And you may still be a prat, but you have a good heart. I have to admit I'm glad I saved you that first day, even if it did mean I had to muck out your stables and clean your socks daily. I'm glad I got to know you, and see what a great king you could be. Stay safe."

Arthur just nodded, before turning and running down the halls, ducking into corridors to make sure he wasn't seen. Merlin watched him fondly, before turning, and preparing himself for his part of the plan. He began running, hoping he would look as if he had run from the lower town by the time he got to the King's chambers. As he turned the last corridor, he saw his first obstacle, the guards outside Uther's door. He stopped in front of them, panting before he said, "I need to speak to the king, urgently! There's a Chimera attacking the lower town!"

The guards must have believed Merlin, he supposed being the prince's manservant did help his credibility slightly, and allowed him access. He stumbled into the king's chambers, still panting. Even after saving his life on countless occasions, Merlin still got rather nervous around Uther. The man had killed so many innocents, just for being associated with magic. So many of his worst nightmares involved him being brought before Uther, his secret revealed, to be tied to a burning post, while all his friends watched. But, he had a mission for his prince, and that was what was important now. He took a long breath, summoned his courage, and said, "Sire! There's a chimera attacking the lower town! The prince went down to fight it when a knight informed him of the incident. He sent me back to alert you and make sure the guards and knights were informed of the beast!"

Uther had stood from his desk the moment Merlin had entered. His expression had changed to one of panic as Merlin spoke, obviously buying his story. As the king moved around his desk he said, "What! You will take me to this beast, and Arthur." Then, turning from Merlin to the guards, he said, "Sound the warning bell and gather all the knights and guards in the courtyard. I will join you as soon as I have gotten into my armor. Prepare to take on this chimera."

The guards hurried out of the room, leaving Uther and Merlin alone. Uther then turned back to Merlin and ordered him to help him with his armor. Merlin did so, trying to keep his hands from shaking as he prayed that the plan would work. While he was finishing strapping the last buckle, Merlin heard the warning bell ring. Hopefully that would be enough to get most of the guards and knights out of the route Arthur and Gwen would be taking. Finishing his work with Uther's armor, Merlin followed the king out of the castle and down to the courtyard. As they made their way down, Merlin felt fear curl in his stomach. With each step, they got closer to Uther realizing that Merlin had led him on a wild goose chase, and that there was no beast attacking the lower town. Merlin tried to keep the fear on his face, hoping to give Arthur as much time as possible by leading the knights of Camelot around the streets of the lower town, searching for the 'chimera.' Merlin couldn't help but gulp as he saw the force waiting for them at the steps of Camelot. Uther gave a brief speech before instructing Merlin to lead them to the beast. Merlin started forward, hoping that he looked sure of himself as he wandered down the streets of Camelot, trying to lead the knights as far from the gates into the city as possible. When he hit a dead end, Uther grabbed him, turning him around to face the king who looked a whole lot angrier than he had when they left the castle.

"Why is it" Uther said, almost growling, "that in all the time we've been out here I haven't so much as heard a shout, or seen any sign of the destruction this 'beast' you warned me of caused?"

Merlin gulped, took a shaky breath and said, "Maybe Prince Arthur was able to defeat it, Sire? Perhaps we should head back to the castle."

Merlin moved to start back down the street, but was held back by the king. "I think you lied to me, boy. Do you know what the punishment is for lying to your king? Death. Seeing as you have served Arthur loyally in the past, I will consider altering the sentence to banishment, count yourself lucky. Guards! Take him to the dungeons! And find my son!"

Two guards moved forward from the group grabbing a hold of Merlin and pulling him back through the streets toward the palace. Merlin could only hope he gave Arthur enough time to get Gwen and get out as he went meekly with the guards, wondering what Uther would do when he found out his son was missing.


	2. Chapter 2: The Missing Prince

**AN: WOW. I think this is the fastest I have ever gotten subscriptions to a story! Thank you all so much! **

**And an even bigger thank you to everyone who reviewed! I got lots of anonymous reviews so I couldn't respond, but I appreciate them very much! Thank you! **

**So, whump starts in this chapter. Nothing to terrible, but it happens, just as a warning. Hope you enjoy!**

**And I do not own Merlin. Which is really for the best.**

Chapter Two: The Missing Prince

Merlin sat in the cell he had been left in, knees curled up under his chin, wondering what was happening in the castle around him. He figured he would find out soon enough, as either Arthur or Uther would be down to yell at him soon, depending on how well the plan had went. He wanted Arthur and Gwen to be safe, and far from the castle, but he couldn't help but shiver when he thought of what the king would do when he discovered his son was missing. It turned out he wouldn't have to wait long to find out what would happen when he heard a commotion from the direction of the stairs, and soon was greeted by a very angry Uther with a few guards trailing hesitantly behind him.

"WHERE IS MY SON!" The king yelled, grabbing the bars of Merlin's cell. Merlin didn't respond he just shrank in, pulling his knees closer to himself and praying that maybe Uther would leave after just yelling at him. At least now he knew that Arthur's plan had been successful, and that Gwen would be safe. Merlin clung to that small bit of relief as he heard Uther order one of the guards to open the door to his cell.

There was some fumbling and rattling of keys before the barred door swung open, and the fuming king entered the small cell. Merlin kept his eyes squeezed shut as Uther's booted foot connected with his side, causing him to uncurl slightly for a moment, before pulling in tighter than he was before.

"Your little stunt was obviously some half-baked plot to give them time to escape; so you must be working with the witch. And I you know something. Tell me the truth, and I will make your passing as painless as possible. Where is Prince Arthur?" Uther shouted down at him, towering over Merlin as he curled into the smallest ball he could and whispered, "I don't know."

Merlin felt a gloved hand curve around his neck as he was pulled upwards, till he was facing the king. He struggled for breath as the grip tightened, cutting off his airways.

"You're lying to me again, boy. And I am going to find out what you know one way or another." With that, he dropped Merlin and turned back to the guards. "Make sure he is given no food or water. No one is allowed to see him without express permission from myself." He then exited the cell, and waited as it was locked, turning back to the corner Merlin had pulled himself into and saying, "Do you realize what you have done? Arthur is in danger now, and it is all your fault. I thought you wanted to keep him safe?"

With that he walked away, leaving Merlin alone in the darkness, Uther's last words still echoing in his mind. Had the king really noticed Merlin's constant struggles to protect the prince? And what if the king was right, and he had just allowed Arthur to put himself into great danger? He hoped that Arthur took his advice, and went to Haldor. At least there Lancelot would also be able to help protect him from any who might recognize him as the prince of Camelot and wish to harm him for his title.

Merlin couldn't help thinking about how he had failed his destiny. Everything was going totally wrong. He wondered what Kilgarrah would say if he knew what Merlin had done. He had only wanted to let Arthur be happy, to give him a chance at a normal life, and now he could have put his life in danger? Hoping that the king was wrong and Arthur would be safe, Merlin curled up and fell into an uneasy sleep, alone in the dark cell under the castle that, until this night, had been home to the man he loved.

* * *

Arthur and Gwen ran. Arthur had thought about going to the stables and getting a horse while Merlin had the guards distracted, but he decided he didn't want to take the risk, so they were forced to leave the city on foot. Arthur had been at the entrance to the dungeons when he heard the warning bell sound. For a moment he feared his plan would be over before it had even begun, until, from his hiding place in one of the larger alcoves, he heard a guard summon the two positioned in front of the entrance to the prison away from their posts, saying that the king had called them all to the courtyard. Realizing that this must have been Merlin's distraction, Arthur moved quickly, heading down to the currently unguarded cells. It didn't take him long to find Guinevere and help her out of her cell. He was glad his father hadn't had the foresight to take his keys from him when he locked him in his chambers, making it easy for the prince to open the door and lead Gwen away from the prison.

Merlin's distraction seemed to have worked perfectly, as Arthur was able to lead Gwen out of the city without a single incident. He wondered what his manservant could have done to distract the soldiers so completely, and a small tinge of worry formed in his stomach as he thought about what might happen to Merlin once he was gone. But, he couldn't think about that now, he needed to get Guinevere to safety. He didn't stop running, holding her arm to make sure she didn't fall behind, until they had made it far enough into the woods that they could barely see a foot in front of them. It would be near impossible for his father's men to follow him if it was so dark, as long as they lit no fires, so they should be safe until morning when the knights would be able to look more carefully for any signs of travelers.

When he finally deemed it far enough for them to be able to safely take a rest, he turned, pulling Gwen into a hug.

"Arthur, thank you. I thought I was going to die." Gwen sobbed, clutching to Arthur as if her life depended on it.

"It's alright Gwen," Arthur replied, "You know I would never let that happen."

She nodded, sniffling quietly before she asked, "What are we going to do?"

"Merlin said we should try to head to the east. Lancelot is living in a small town called Haldor, he should be able to help us until we can decide what we want to do."

"Lancelot?" Gwen replied, sounding strangely happy and nervous all at the same time. Arthur's brows wrinkled at the strange reaction, and he was glad it was dark enough that Guinevere could not see his concern for the way she said the other man's name.

"Yes, Lancelot. He also suggested Ealdor, but the people there will have a greater chance of recognizing me, so I thought we should try this Haldor place first. We should keep moving. The knights will probably be after us soon, and they will have horses. They will be much faster than us, so we should get as far from the castle as we can while it is still dark."

Guinevere nodded, and let Arthur pull her through the dark forest, in the direction Arthur hoped was east. He tried not to be distracted by the sniffling behind him that only began to stop when he heard the sounds of a river ahead. Arthur was exhausted, so he decided that this would be as good a place to stop as any, spreading out his cloak for Guinevere to sleep on while he found a tree to lean back against and fell into an uneasy sleep, each rustle of leaves sounding like approaching knights, every whisper of wind becoming orders yelled by the men pursuing him.

* * *

Merlin woke when a bucket of icy water was dumped on him. He shot up, gasping and shivering to see Uther glowering over him, a guard on either side, one of them holding a recently emptied bucket. As he got a sense of his surroundings, Merlin realized that he was incredibly thirsty. He tried to pull some of the water dripping down his face into his mouth with his tongue, hoping for a small amount of relief when he was pulled upwards and out of his cell, into a different room with a chair that he was tied into by the two guards while Uther watched. Once he was secured, Uther nodded at one of the guards who, on his king's signal, punched Merlin quite hard in the stomach.

"Where is my son?" Uther asked, his voice much more calm than it had been the night before. Still angry, but more demanding than furious as it was the last time he asked that question.

"I don't know." Merlin replied keeping his eyes locked on the kings. He had been lying since the day he got into Camelot; he should be pretty good at it by now. Plus, in a way it was true. He wasn't sure where Arthur was, he just had a few very good ideas of where he was probably heading. His answer got him another punch in the stomach and a slap, before Uther grabbed his face and turned it so he was forced to look at him, saying, "I demand you tell me where Prince Arthur and the witch went."

"Gwen is not a witch, she's innocent." Merlin replied. This probably wasn't the best answer, as it got him a punch in the face by the king himself before the two guards he brought with him started pummeling him. He felt a trickle of blood slide down from his nose where Uther had hit him. That couldn't be good, Merlin thought, what if his nose was broken? The king probably wouldn't allow Gaius to treat him, seeing as he kind of wanted Merlin dead.

"You're obviously working with her; tell me what her plans for my son are!" Uther said losing the calm he had at the beginning of the conversation.

"Gwen's plans for Arthur? Well, she probably plans on caring for him, maybe having a nice wedding, and one day even a baby, a prince or princess of their own. But she didn't use sorcery to make him feel want that as well. Can't you see that they love each other?"

Again, this probably wasn't the best thing Merlin could have said in this situation. Uther apparently lost any restraint he had, and was choking Merlin, his hand locked around Merlin's neck while he struggled and gasped for air. Merlin could barely see the guards looking confused behind the king, as his vision began to go blurry and he realized that if he didn't get air soon he would probably die. Luckily, it seemed the king did not want him to die quite yet, and he released Merlin, allowing him to regain his breath in great gulps.

"You will tell me her plans eventually boy. See how you like going a few days without food or water, maybe that will loosen your tongue." With that Uther left, and Merlin was pulled back to the cell he had been in the night before. He was still coughing when the guards locked the door, his body aching from Uther's interrogation session.

Merlin shifted slowly, moving away from the door and into the corner where he had been curled up before being dragged from the room. It was slow going as each move caused his chest to scream in agony, and he was trying to keep one hand on his bleeding nose, in a hopeless attempt at stopping the blood. When he had reached the corner, he pulled himself into a sitting position, his back leaning up against the wall furthest from the door, and tried to assess his injuries. His ribs where sore from where he had been punched; they didn't seem to be broken, but it was difficult to tell. His nose on the other hand, hurt so much that it was hard to touch it, let alone figure out whether or not it was broken. He wondered what Arthur would think of him with a crooked nose, but then realized it probably didn't matter seeing as Arthur was hopefully miles away and in love with someone else. As there wasn't much to do in his empty cell, Merlin curled up and tried to get some rest before the king could come back and question him again.

* * *

Arthur and Guinevere arrived at Haldor after two days of walking through the woods. They had had to pass by a couple of towns; Arthur keeping his hood pulled down to make sure no one would notice him. They tried to stay to the woods as much as possible, even avoiding roads so as to stay inconspicuous. It was slightly hard going but they managed to move quickly enough. Arthur had packed most of the gold he kept in his room as well as some of the other valuables he kept around, so they were able to purchase food when they arrived at one small village that hopefully was far enough from Camelot the knight's wouldn't question its people about the presence of two strangers passing through. Arthur was still worried about people following them though, and it was very difficult for him to relax when it seemed as if every eye was watching him, every movement some enemy about to attack.

It was much easier to stay to the woods, for him at least. Ever since he was a child he had loved going out into the forest, spending time running through the grass and brush, climbing the trees when his guard was far enough away to stop him, it had been so freeing. In the city he always had to behave like a prince, but out here he could be whoever he wanted. He squeezed Gwen's hand as he thought about this, realizing that he finally had no one's expectations to live up to except his own.

It did not take them long to find Lancelot once they Haldor. It was a small town, slightly bigger than Ealdor if Arthur remembered the village Merlin had grown up in correctly, but still so much smaller than the sprawl that was Camelot. It seemed Lancelot had helped almost every citizen of the town in some way or another, and all were happy to point them in the right direction, after making sure that they were friends of his and meant no harm. Lancelot seemed quite happy, though very confused, when they finally reached the small house he was living in. He shook Arthur's hand and, after a brief awkward moment, patted Guinevere on the shoulder. Arthur couldn't help but wonder if there had ever been something between these two, and whether it might be best for them to head over to Ealdor, where Gwen wouldn't be tempted by any handsome would-be knights.

After they had exchanged greetings, Lancelot asked, "What are you two doing here? Shouldn't you be in Camelot, Arthur?"

Gwen looked away, a slightly guilty expression on her face while Arthur responded, "It is a long story, Lancelot. Do you think we could talk inside?"

"Of course!" Lancelot said, noticing the serious expression on Arthur face, "I'm still working on the house a bit. A friend of mine was helping me build a place of my own, but he had to work today, so it's just me here. I know it's not much, but it is nice to finally have a place of my own."

"It's lovely." Gwen said with a smile. Arthur felt that same suspicion swirl in his stomach but ignored it and turned back to Lancelot saying, "My father accused Gwen of using enchantments to make me fall in love with her. He was going to have her executed, so Merlin and I got her out. We were hoping you could help us start a new life together."

Lancelot's expression morphed from happy to horrified when Arthur mentioned the threat to Guinevere's life. He quickly grabbed Gwen's shoulder and asked her if she was alright. When he received a nod and a nervous "Yes, I'm fine." he turned back to Arthur and said, "So you left Camelot, left your kingdom to be with Gwen? I hope someday I can find someone who will love me the way you two love each other. You said Merlin helped you, is he with you?"

"No. Merlin simply distracted the guards so we could get by. He is still with Gaius, back in Camelot." Arthur responded. He was surprised at how much sadness this statement filled him with. Ever sense he had left Camelot, the absence of his dark-haired manservant had been painfully obvious. As the days went on it only got worse and worse. They had almost been inseparable before they left, it was strange going so long without calling him an idiot or being called prat, clot pole, dollop head, or whatever other strange insult Merlin seemed to come up with daily. He had to remind himself that he should be happy, he was finally getting what he wanted, a life with Guinevere to do with what he pleased, but he couldn't help feeling that there was a Merlin-shaped hole in his new life.

"Ah." Lancelot responded, "That makes sense. Well, if you two need a place to stay for a while you can spend some time here. There is room. Or I could ask around town, I'm sure someone has an extra room you could use if you help out around here, do a little work in the fields or something. I've been working with my friend, Percival. His family owns a farm just at the edge of the village. They always could use extra hands, especially as one of Percival's sisters is expecting again. Gwen might be able to get some food helping take care of the children as well, they do have quite a lot of young ones running around down there."

"Sounds splendid, don't you think?" Arthur asked Gwen. He was still a little nervous about working on a farm, but he was ready to try anything in order to be normal. Gwen nodded, saying, "As long as you think you will be able to handle working on a farm, Sire."

"There is no need to call me that anymore, Guinevere. Please, stick with Arthur. We will need to be discreet as well, Lancelot. The fewer people who know who I am, the better. I am almost certain my father will send forces looking for me, and although we may be slightly safer now that we have crossed the borders, we are by no means out of harm's way. I do not wish to bring harm to you or this village; I simply seek a good place to start a peaceful life."

"Of course, Arthur. I'll let you two get settled in before I show you around town, introduce you to the people. Might not want to call yourself Arthur, though. Even around these parts you've made quite the impression. Someone might suspect something."

"That is a good idea. How about Will?" Arthur suggested, noting the strange look in Guinevere's eyes as he chose the name of the boy who had been Merlin's best friend from Ealdor. "You might want to tell them I was the son of a lord, who was disowned when he fell in love with a servant, just in case they notice something strange and start to question who I really am."

Lancelot nodded before leaving Arthur and Guinevere to lay down their meager belongings in the small room he had led them to. It wasn't much, there wasn't even a bed, but Arthur guessed he would have to get used to peasant life and everything that went with it, no matter how uncomfortable it would be.

* * *

Merlin was left alone for the next two days. It was incredibly lonely, and he was starting to get worried about the cough he had developed the first day that just didn't seem to be going away, but he was happy the king left him alone. The part that was beginning to get truly unbearable was the thirst. Hunger as well, but the thirst was the worst. His mouth felt dry and crinkled, even after he had squeezed all the water from his still wet clothes, sucking into his mouth after the first morning. He was starting to worry that Uther had forgotten about him, and that he would be left here to die from thirst and hunger before anyone could save him.

Just as he was beginning to contemplate attempting to use magic to get out and find something to drink, the door to his cell swung open and a filled water-skin as well as a slightly molded piece of bread were flung in. Merlin moved to them as quickly as his aching body allowed, taking first the water-skin and gulping its contents down. Even though the water was lukewarm and stale, it felt like heaven to his dry, parched lips. He could almost feel his mouth swelling from the stream of liquid spilling into him. Once his mouth felt like a mouth again, he turned his attention to the bread, ripping it apart like an animal. He devoured every last piece until there was nothing left, then turned his attention back to the water-skin, finishing every last drop. The bread had done very little to slate his hunger, instead painfully reminding him of the dull throb in his stomach. He groaned slightly and moved back to his corner, waiting for what would happen next. He was pretty certain they wouldn't just give him food and let him be; so he prepared himself for the inevitable questioning he assumed would soon follow.

Merlin didn't have long to prepare as his cell door banged open was more, and two guards entered. They moved over to where he was slumping and pulled him up; taking him to a room he had never seen before. He had to admit, he was happy he had never been in this particular room, and was not keen on entering it again. It looked a lot like a torture chamber, the walls were filled with knives, whips and other strange devices whose purpose Merlin did not want to learn. Once in the room, the guards pulled of Merlin's coat, shirt, and neckerchief, leaving him naked from the hip up, and took him over to a wall with a pair of shackles built into it. He tried to struggle, but his feeble attempts did nothing to stop the two, larger knights dragging him forward. When they reached the wall, they locked him in the shackles, so his back was facing them and his face was pressed up against the stone. Only when he was secured did he hear the voice he had been expecting sound behind him.

"Where is Prince Arthur?" Uther asked his voice as cold as ever.

"I don't know." Merlin responded. As soon as the words left his mouth he felt a whip crack against his back. He managed to hold back the scream that was threatening to break free as blood began to trickle down from the fresh wound the whip had left open.

"Why did you help the witch?" Uther questioned once the whip was back on the ground.

"Because Gwen and Arthur are my friends. They deserve to be happy." Merlin said, closing his eyes and waiting for the impact of the whip. It didn't take long, this answer getting him not one but two lashes before the cord fell to the ground.

"Where did she take him?"

"I don't know."

_Crack_

"WHERE IS HE?"

"I don't know."

_Crack_

"TELL ME WHAT SHE DID TO MY SON!"

At this point Merlin could barely respond, so he just shook his head, mumbling out "No." before the whip struck again. This pattern went on until Merlin could tell his back was a bloody mess. Uther would question him; he would do his best to respond negatively, the whip would rip through his skin. It wasn't until he was slumped in the chains and lost the strength to even mumble answers to Uther's questions that he was released from his chains and dragged back to his cell. Every movement caused his body to ache and burn, as the bloody mess that was his back was stretched by the guards. He let out a feeble cry as he was tossed back into his cell, as his guards did not seem to be worried about his wounds and had pushed him so he landed back down on the rough stone ground. Merlin only had the energy to flip himself over onto his stomach before darkness overcame him and he fell into a troubled sleep.


	3. Chapter 3: Who Else?

**AN: You guys are awesome! Thank you so much for reading, reviewing, favoriting and subscribing! This is awesome! **

**In other words, I have never gotten so much interest in one fic so quickly! That is probably slightly pathetic, but anyhoo... I love you!**

**And, you guys want me want to update as quickly as possible! So, chapter three! There may possibly be some realizations in this chapter, at least on Arthur's part! YAY!**

**I know this is a surprise, but I still don't own Merlin. If anyone has a link to any comic con season five trailers they would like to send me, I would greatly appreciate it... Seeing as I don't own the show...**

**But, in other news! Story time ;)**

Chapter Three: Who Else?

The next time Merlin woke, his back felt worse than it had when the guards took him back to his cell, if that was possible. He was in the same position he had been in when he fell asleep, sprawled across the ground in front of the door. His face felt hot, which was strange as it was quite cold down in the dungeons. He painfully pulled himself back to his corner, before falling back into a fevered sleep.

The second time Merlin woke, there was a strange stinging sensation on his back. His brain still felt addled, and he was having a hard time focusing on anything except the pain in his back, but he knew there was someone else in the room. Strangely, this person didn't seem to be asking him questions and his touch did not cause Merlin pain. True, it did sting, but the feeling that came after was one of relief, the fire on his back slowly dulling. When the new person realized he was awake, a cup was pressed against his mouth, and he heard a familiar voice say, "Drink this, Merlin."

Merlin complied, before turning his head slightly and croaking, "Gaius?"

"Yes, Merlin. One of your wounds got infected. I just need to clean them." The old physician said. Merlin was too exhausted to respond again, so he lay still as Gaius rubbed slaves into the wounds and wrapped him in bandages. When he was about finished, Merlin heard another voice command, "Ask him."

Gaius sighed, before saying, "Merlin, do you know where the prince is?"

Merlin scrunched up his eyebrows. He still felt slightly confused, but he knew that that question was important, and that he couldn't let anyone know where Arthur went, so he whispered "No."

There was an angry shout, before a door slammed and Merlin figured whoever else had been in the room must have left. There was silence for a while as Gaius finished with his work, before Gaius said, "Oh, Merlin why can't you take better care of yourself? I told your mother I would protect you, but I can't, you should try putting yourself first once, it would help me a lot. I wish there was more I could do. Drink this, it will help with the pain."

Another cup was pressed against his lips, and Merlin drank the liquid greedily. When it was taken away, he heard yet another voice, possibly Leon? Say, "Gaius, it is time to go."

Merlin listened as the door was opened once more, and then shut quietly. Whatever Gaius had given him sent him into a dreamless sleep, alone once more in his cell.

* * *

_Haldor, Three weeks later…_

Arthur sat out in the woods outside the small village. The longer he stayed, the more obvious it became that he didn't belong here. The people were kind to him, and he wasn't terrible at farm work as long as he had very specific instructions and didn't have to do anything much more complex than carrying large objects around. Gwen seemed quite happy, but Arthur couldn't help but notice that she spent more and more time with Lancelot, how she smiled and laughed only when around him, and how he, strangely, wasn't all that upset about this. At first he thought he was furious, but then he had realized that he couldn't be angry at any of them. He loved Gwen, but possibly not the way he thought he did. She was like a sister, or a very close friend, but not a lover. They had tried to make love once, but it had been incredibly awkward and they had decided that maybe it would be better when they had an actual bed.

And then there was Merlin. Arthur couldn't help it, but the ache that had started when he left Camelot had turned into full-blown agony. He missed his silly little manservant. He missed his big ears, his blue eyes, his goofy grin, the way he talked to Arthur like they were equals, and how he always knew exactly what Arthur needed to hear. Arthur was beginning to realize that he really couldn't last too much longer without him. He felt bad for thinking of leaving Guinevere, after all she had gone through to be with him. She had left her home, her job, and had almost been killed simply because he thought he loved her. So what would she say if he told her that he realized maybe he wasn't so much in love with her. That he might possibly be in love with, as strange as it was to think, Merlin.

Even thinking of his name sent strange pangs through Arthur's heart. He never realized how much he depended on Merlin. How much happier he had gotten since the strange boy had arrived in Camelot and stumbled his way into Arthur's heart. Before Merlin, he really had been an arrogant prat. All his friends were simply friends with him as he was the prince. No one really knew him. He was pressured by his father to be the perfect son, pressured by Morgana to stand up to his father, and pressured by the people to be the perfect king they deserved He had been pushed so many ways by so many people, but somehow he still felt lost and alone. Then Merlin came, with his country-boy ignorance, and he had shown Arthur who he could be, and how he could become the king the people deserved. He had helped Arthur deflate his ego while realizing that he was ready for whatever the kingdom needed of him. He didn't know what would have happened if he had never met Merlin, but he was certainly glad he did.

Arthur wondered what Merlin was doing now. Now that he didn't have to constantly be waiting on a stuck-up prince. Would the king assign him other duties, or would he be without a job? Gaius would no doubt have extra chores for Merlin to complete, but Merlin would probably want to be working, not just depending on Gaius for food and shelter. Part of Arthur wished Merlin had come with him. He liked to imagine that that would have fixed all his problems. Merlin would somehow be able to know what was happening between Lancelot and Guinevere and himself, and he would know just what to say when Arthur felt like a terrible person for abandoning his people. Arthur still believed that there would have been no other way to stop the execution in time, and he certainly didn't regret saving Gwen, but he worried about his people, his knights, his kingdom. He was supposed to protect it, every citizen, not just one girl he may have had a crush on at one point of time.

Arthur knew what he needed to do. He had been thinking about it ever since he reached Haldor and saw Guinevere and Lancelot together. He had a duty to his people, and he couldn't give that up. Guinevere no longer needed his protection. She had Lancelot so she no longer needed him. He wondered why he didn't feel more resentful towards the man, but he couldn't help but think of what he would have if he went back to Camelot, namely, Merlin.

So, taking a deep breath, Arthur started walking back towards the village and the small hut they still shared with Lancelot, praying that he would have the courage to get through this conversation, and that Guinevere would not be hurt by what he had to say.

* * *

The three weeks passed slowly for Merlin. After the flogging, Uther had backed off slightly, whether because he thought Merlin really didn't know anything, or, and probably more likely, because he realized he had almost killed Merlin, and seeing as Merlin was the only clue he had to where his son might be, he did not want to risk losing him once more. Merlin still received the odd punch or kick when he wouldn't answer Uther's question, but they generally tried to avoid his back, and never stayed very long. Mostly his punishment consisted of going long periods of time in solitude with very little food and water.

Although the fever he had gotten after one of the whip wounds got infected had faded, Merlin never fully recovered. He supposed that had something to do with being left down in the damp dungeons, with little to keep him warm. During the time he had the fever, Gaius visited him twice, each time asking him questions which his fever addled mind had a difficult time processing. Merlin guessed Uther had thought that possibly he would give something away when he was sick, confused, and being comforted by a familiar voice. Merlin had remained silent though, keeping all the information he had about Arthur secret from the king. When Merlin stopped sweating and shaking constantly, Gaius had stopped visiting, and Merlin had developed a cough. Uther seemed to have noticed this, as when the cough got increasingly worse, Merlin received more and more water, so either it was an attempt by Uther to keep him alive or the guards had taken pity on him and started smuggling him in drinks. Leon would sneak down occasionally and talk to him. As the head of the knights, he had some authority over the guards, so could get down to see him without too many questions being asked. His visits helped break up the solitude greatly, but were few and far between as Leon was constantly leaving Camelot in search of Arthur. Merlin hoped that if anyone did find Arthur, it was Leon. The man was kind, and had known Gwen as a child. He had told Merlin he did not believe her to be a sorceress, no matter what the evidence against her was. Merlin figured that if Leon ever did find Gwen he wouldn't hurt her, he would just try to convince Arthur to return. But, he also wanted Arthur to be happy, so he didn't tell the knight anything about where Arthur probably went.

Merlin lost track of the days quickly. His cell had a small window, but the days he had spent in a fever-induced haze had thrown him off, and now it just seemed pointless to count what proved to be an endless stay in the dungeons of Camelot. He wondered how long it would be before Uther gave up on him, and ordered him executed. It probably wouldn't matter, as Merlin's cough was getting worse and he was getting skinnier and skinnier. Soon it wouldn't matter what the king wanted, his body would give out on him and he would die. When these thoughts filled his mind, Merlin would try to banish them with memories of Arthur. He hoped that Arthur wouldn't forget him when he was gone. He didn't expect the prince to mourn his passing, he just wanted to be remembered by the man he loved with all his heart. Merlin hoped he would be able to see Arthur again, somehow. It was that hope that kept him fighting. Arthur was the light that guided him through the darkness, the raft that kept him afloat when he felt he would drown in his own sorrow. And it was Arthur that he thought of when he fell asleep. Arthur's arms wrapped around him, keeping him warm as the chill of the dungeon's seeped into his bones.

* * *

The walk back to Lancelot's house had never felt longer. When Arthur stepped inside, he was glad to see that both Lancelot and Guinevere where already there. If he had to wait any longer he was pretty certain he would talk himself out of it, and would have to work up the courage once more. He moved to sit at the table Lancelot and Gwen where waiting at. They both smiled at him, making him feel slightly nauseous about what he was going to do. He took a deep breath, thought of Merlin, and began.

"Guinevere, Lancelot, there is something I need to discuss with you."

Both their expressions shifted to worry and concern as Arthur spoke with such a serious tone. He hadn't used that tone for so long.

"What is it, Arthur? Is something wrong?" Guinevere asked.

"No. Well, yes. Sort of?" Arthur replied, slightly confused. Something was definitely wrong, Merlin was miles away! Of course, he couldn't just state that as the reason for his concern to Guinevere and Lancelot. He needed to explain himself, especially for Guinevere's sake.

"Tell us, Arthur." Lancelot said, not in a demanding way, just concerned, "We will assist you in whatever way we can." The way Gwen nodded as Lancelot spoke did not help with the queasy feeling in Arthur's stomach.

"I've been thinking, and I can't stay away from Camelot much longer. It is my kingdom. I cannot just abandon it. I am sorry Guinevere, but now that I know you will be safe here with Lancelot, I must return home. If there is anything I can do for you in the future, know that I will do everything in my power to see it is done. But, I now realize that I can stay here no longer." Arthur said, finishing with a sigh. He hoped she understood.

Gwen smiled at him, reaching out and taking his hand before saying, "I know, Arthur. I was surprised you left in the first place. Camelot needs you." Her expression changed slightly, shifting from accepting to slightly guilty as she continued, "There is something I need to tell you as well. And I am so sorry, Arthur, but I can't let you go back to Camelot thinking that I feel the same way as I did when we left. I thought that I loved you, and I do, just more as a brother than as a wife should. I felt terrible that I didn't see you that way anymore, especially after all you had given up to be with me. I am so sorry, Arthur. I hope that you find someone better than me to hold your heart. But, being here with Lancelot has showed me that you do not hold mine, I am so sorry."

Arthur smiled at this. Apparently that hadn't been the reaction Guinevere had been expecting. She looked quite confused as Arthur said, "That's excellent, Gwen! I'm sorry, that sounded bad. That's not what I meant. It's just, I feel the same way. You are like my younger sister, and I want to know your safe and protected, but I do not love you the way I thought I did. All this time I watched you with Lancelot, and I felt nothing. I thought I should be jealous of the way he could make you smile, but I wasn't. I only felt happy to see both of you so happy together. Please do not feel like a worse person for not loving me, for I am exactly the same."

"Thank you, Arthur!" Gwen said, jumping up and pulling Arthur into a hug.

Arthur returned the hug, before he released her saying, "It has been a pleasure seeing you again, Lancelot, but I really do wish to return to my kingdom. I will pack my things and leave as soon as possible as long as you promise to look after Guinevere and make sure no harm comes to her."

Lancelot smiled, nodded and said, "I will always protect her. I love Guinevere more than I thought possible. Thank you for understanding, Arthur."

Arthur just nodded, before turning to gather up his few things. He was about to leave when Gwen called out to him, asking, "What about you, Arthur? I have Lancelot, is there someone else who you love?"

Arthur paused, wondering what they would think if he told them. "Yes." He replied simply. "I really should head out." Arthur said, turning back toward the door.

"It's Merlin, isn't it?" Guinevere said. Arthur tensed, then turned back, smiled at her and said, "Who else?"

Gwen just smiled back and nodded. Lancelot looked slightly stunned, but he was smiling as well. Arthur waved at both of them, before leaving the small village and heading back to his true love.


	4. Chapter 4: The Course of True Love

**AN: Hello! I'm kind of being bad and updating this again before I work on my other story...**

**Sorry people who are reading other story, but there are just so much fewer of you, and I REALLY wanted to write this chapter. So, I did.**

**The title of this chapter was stolen from a song from the musical Were the World Mine. It is absolutely beautiful, and I totally recommend it if you like musicals. Its about a gay boy who lives in a conservative town so life kind of sucks. But when he is cast as Puck in a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, things start to change. When his script helps him make a magic flower that can make anyone fall in love with the next person they see, he uses this flower to change his town, and open their eyes. It is absolutely wonderful, and Oh my god, Tanner Cohen can sing.**

**Anyhoo, story time! I hope you like this! And thank you all for the wonderful reviews and everything else! You guys are absolutely fabulous!**

**Finally, I don't own Merlin. Sorry if this comes as a surprise to you, but it really shouldn't**

Chapter Four: The Course of True Love Never Did Run Smooth

Merlin was surprised that he had woken when it was still dark. He usually tried to stay awake during the day, so he would be prepared for any visitors who might come, but he would always try to sleep during the night, as he had never been bothered then. It took him a second to realize what had caused this sudden change of schedule, but it didn't take him long to figure out when he heard a very familiar voice coming from just outside the barred doors.

"Merlin."

Merlin coughed, and slowly pulled himself into a standing position, to keep from looking weak. "Morgana. What are you doing down here?"

"I can't come and check up on you, Merlin? I was just worried about my friend." She replied with a smirk. Merlin cringed at the harsh sarcasm of her words, but stayed silent. He didn't want to give her the satisfaction of responding.

"I really should thank you. With Arthur gone, Uther will have no choice but to name me heir to the throne. And with you locked up down here, no one will be able to stop me from taking what is rightfully mine."

Merlin glared at her before turning his back on the door and moving slowly back to his corner. When he got there he sat down, keeping his back to the door, and trying to ignore Morgana's voice as she continued, saying, "Awww, don't be like that Merlin. I just came to talk. I have to say, this is the first time I've been glad Uther gets so crazy about magic. You finally get put in your proper place without me having to tell Uther about what you did, all because he thinks you're helping a witch. Poor little Merlin who would do anything, even kill his friends in order to protect his prince, suspected of assisting a sorceress! Ha! It won't be long now till Uther's men find Arthur without your help. Then he will have no use for you, and you will die."

Merlin squeezed his eyes shut, trying not to think about the truth in her words. But, he didn't want to give Morgana the satisfaction of knowing that she had gotten to him, so he kept his back to her, and remained silent as said, "Have fun down here Merlin. I won't be back." and she turned and left the dungeons. After he was certain she was gone, he moved back into the position he had been in before she was gone, lying down with his back facing the door. He tried to fall asleep again, but he couldn't; Morgana's words and his coughing keeping him up through the night.

* * *

The journey back only took two days, as this time Arthur was travelling alone, was less worried about getting caught, and had the prospect of seeing Merlin again to keep him moving. He had been a little worried about what would happen when he re-entered the city, but it seemed those worries would go unfounded. As he walked through the gates on the afternoon of the second day, he heard people whispering, and saw people pointing, but the guards seemed too stunned by his sudden appearance to do anything, and they let him make his way up to see his father. A small group had gathered behind him when he finally reached the council chambers. It seemed that although none of the guards really knew what to do about his sudden appearance, none of them wanted to let him leave their sights and possibly disappear once more.

Arthur entered the council chambers with a flourish, pushing the doors aside dramatically and saying, "Father, I made a mistake. I hope you can accept my apologies."

"Arthur!" Uther said looking up from the maps and other papers scattered across the large table. "Where have you been? Did the witch harm you? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, father." Arthur replied. "And Guinevere was not a witch. She was also enchanted by whoever left that poultice in my bed." Arthur had been thinking about what to tell his father when he returned, and had made up a whole story while he walked. "Apparently, the only cure was for one of us to be kissed by our true love. Luckily for us, Guinevere met hers, and the spell was broken. Now that I can see clearly without the enchantment clouding my vision, I would like to apologize for my behaviors and ask for your forgiveness."

"Magic has once again attempted to ruin our kingdom. This was not your fault, my son. Even I have fallen prey to love spells. I hope that in the future you will trust my judgment and not try to act against me."

"I will do my best, father. I am quite tired from my journey, do you mind if I retire?" Arthur asked, wanting to get away from his father and find Merlin as quickly as possible.

"Of course not. But, I do expect you to join me for breakfast tomorrow so we can discuss the whereabouts of this sorcerer who enchanted both you and the serving girl." Uther said, turning back to his papers.

"Thank you, father. I will see you tomorrow." Arthur said with a grin, racing out of the room. He did make a stop in his chambers first, so as he wouldn't arouse suspicion in any of the guards watching him leave. He almost expected Merlin to be waiting there for him, but he knew that that wouldn't really make any sense, as Merlin would not be waiting for him in his room for the entire time he was gone. After he set down the few things he had brought with him from Haldor, Arthur left his room and hurried down to the physician's chambers. If anyone would know where Merlin was, it would be Gaius.

Arthur tried not to look too excited as he hurried down to Gaius' room. He didn't want to draw any more attention than he already was. He could barely stop himself from bursting into the rooms, instead deciding to knock politely, trying to maintain as much composure as he could. When he heard Gaius offer a muffled, "Come in." Arthur entered.

Arthur had been hoping to see Merlin there, thinking that he could surprise him by suddenly showing up in Camelot. Unfortunately he wasn't here either, so the only person Arthur was able to startle was Gaius.

"Arthur! You're back! When did you arrive? Is everything alright?" Gaius said, standing from the chair he had been sitting in, hand pressed against his head, seemingly staring at nothing. Arthur started to worry a bit as he saw the expression on Gaius' face. He looked more tired and much older than he had appeared when he left. Something or someone was making him worried, and if there was one person who would make Gaius worry, it was Merlin.

"I just returned, and I am fine. Is Merlin here?" Arthur replied quickly.

"No, Sire." Gaius replied, with a slightly confused and sad expression.

"Where is he?" Arthur asked, hoping to speed up the getting to Merlin process.

"He's in the same place he's been since you disappeared, Sire. The dungeons." Gaius said sadly. Arthur froze. That couldn't be right, why would Merlin be in the dungeons? This couldn't be his fault, could it? Arthur could feel guilt and fear and so many other emotions writhing in his chest as he turned back towards the door and sprinted down to the prison beneath the castle.

When he reached the bottom of the stairs that lead down to the cells, Arthur was happy to see the two guards stand aside and let him pass. They looked so stunned by his appearance that Arthur almost felt sorry for them. But, as he was completely focused on getting to Merlin, he barely had time to spare them any thought.

It took him a while to find the cell Merlin was in. It didn't help that Merlin was looking less like a person and more like a small pile of rags when he finally did find him. Arthur didn't want it to be him, but all the other cells had been empty, and Gaius wouldn't have lied to him about this. He edged towards the bars slowly, and whispered, "Merlin?"

The small pile in one of the corners of the cell looked up, and Arthur saw the blue eyes he had been missing so much. Merlin slowly unfolded his body from the curled up position he had been sitting, using the wall to pull himself into a standing position as he began to slowly walk towards the bars of his cell, and croaked, "Arthur?"

"Oh gods, Merlin, what happened to you?" Arthur asked, watching as Merlin slowly made his way over to the cell door. He couldn't move. He could barely breath. Why would anyone have done this to Merlin?

"You came back." Merlin said, a smile pulling across his thin face. Arthur felt tears fall from his eyes as he watched Merlin. The smile looked painful as it stretched his dry and cracked lips. His eyes and ears looked even larger than they normally did, as the rest of him seemed to have shrunk since Arthur saw him last. Merlin had always been skinny, but now it was so much worse. His clothes hung off his body and he looked as if a strong breeze could blow him away. Merlin had never looked more breakable. When he reached a pale hand through the bars towards Arthur, Arthur grabbed it and was startled by how cold the pale appendage was. He needed to get Merlin out of here, that was certain.

"Of course I came back. I said I would, didn't I?" Arthur said, clinging to Merlin's hand.

"Where's Gwen?" Merlin asked, but before Arthur could answer a racking cough shook Merlin's body. Arthur cringed at the sound. Everything about this was so terribly wrong. When Merlin had finished coughing, and turned his head slightly so he could wipe his chin with the hand that was currently pressed against the wall, Arthur said, "She's safe, with Lancelot. I guess she didn't love me after all."

"Oh, Arthur, I'm so sorry. I thought Lancelot had feelings for her, but I always thought she loved you more. I shouldn't have told you to go there." Merlin said his voice raw from the recent coughing fit.

"Don't be sorry. It's for the best. She is happy, and I was able to realize that I love someone else."

"What? Who?" Merlin asked. He was shaking more than he had been earlier, which was quite impressive.

"Merlin," Arthur said with a smile, "I love you. I was a fool to ever think otherwise."

Merlin pulled his hand back, staring at Arthur with wide eyes. Arthur felt terrible. He started rambling, hoping that Merlin wouldn't run from him at the first chance he got.

"I'm sorry, Merlin. That was a stupid thing to say. You're sick. I shouldn't have said that now. Especially since Gwen was your friend. I just needed to tell you. God, I am such an idiot. I'm-"

But before he could finish, Merlin reached his hand out, laying a cold finger against Arthur's lips. Arthur stayed silent as Merlin's long fingers traced the shapes on his face, brushing away the tears that had fallen when he had first seen Merlin. When the cold hand stopped, resting against his check, Merlin spoke.

"Arthur, please don't be sorry for saying that. It's just, I never thought you would. I'm pretty sure I have loved you since I first saw you, but I could only dream of you loving me back. I was just surprised. I'm glad you told me now, and that I got to tell you before it was too late."

"Merlin, don't talk like that. I'm going to get you out of here, even if I have to kill my father to do it." Arthur said, turning to head back to the stairs. He was stopped by Merlin grabbing onto his wrist, and he turned back to the small figure leaning against the bars.

"Don't." Merlin said. "It's not his fault. He was just trying to make sure you were safe."

The guilty feeling that had been stirring in Arthur's stomach returned with a vengeance, as Arthur moved back to Merlin's side, and said, "What?"

"He was worried about you." Merlin began. "He just wanted to find you and make sure you were safe. He knew I had helped you, so he figured that I might know something about where you went, so he kept me down here to question me about your disappearance."

"Why would he think you knew anything?" Arthur asked. He felt hollow. Merlin simply looked confused as he said, "Because I was leading him around the town, looking for a non-existent chimera while you were escaping. He was already angry at me for lying to him, but when he figured out that it was all a plot to get you and Gwen out of the castle, he was furious. He thought I was working with Gwen, and that she had some terrible plan for you." Merlin finished. His longer speech sending him into another coughing fit.

"This is all my fault." Arthur said, backing away from the bars and burying his face in his hands. He should have known his plan couldn't have worked so smoothly.

"No!" Merlin said, as soon as he stopped hacking, "I knew the risks when I said I would help you, Arthur. I wanted to protect Gwen as much as you did. I wanted you to be happy."

"You knew this would happen, and you still helped me?" Arthur said, pulling his face up from behind his hands.

"Well, maybe not this exactly, but yes. Of course I did, Arthur. I love you."

Arthur felt his stomach twist painfully. He was such an idiot. Merlin had risked everything for him to be happy, and he hadn't even given him a second thought. He hadn't thought about what Merlin would need to do to distract the guards so thoroughly. He hadn't thought of the risks for someone so close to both him and Gwen after they ran. He had been so stupid, and now Merlin was paying for it.

"I'm going to fix this, Merlin." Arthur said with determination. "I will speak to my father, and make him see sense. I will get you out of here, and then I will stay by your side until you are better, and much longer than that if you can ever forgive me."

"Arthur." Merlin said, a smile stretching across his face again. "I don't think you realize how long I have dreamed of hearing you say those words. I will never leave you, no matter what. I will love you until the day I die."

Arthur sniffed, and nodded before saying, "Thank you Merlin. I will be back soon with the order of your release. I promise."

Merlin smiled as Arthur turned to leave, racing back up to the castle to find his father and fix the mess he had made.


	5. Chapter 5: Fixing What is Broken

**AN: Hello! Thank you guys so much for your continued support! I hope this chapter isn't too unbelievable...**

**Anyhoo... This story is coming to an end. Sorry. I never expected it to be very long though. I'm kind of running out of things to write, really. I do want to have one more short chapter, possibly with a little more evil Morgana and suspicious Arthur, but I don't want to do too much of that, considering I really want this to kind of be an alternate version of 3.10, where forever after there is Merthur. Lancelot would probably somehow survive as well... Not quite sure how though...**

**But, that's besides the point. Sorry this chapter took slightly longer than usual to put up. Hopefully the last chapter won't take too long! And thank you all so much for reading and everything else! You all are TOTALLY AWESOME!**

**And.. I don't own Merlin. I really have nothing else to say here, seeing as that should be pretty obvious ;)**

Chapter Five: Fixing That Which is Broken

Merlin had hoped to get food today. Usually it came every two days, water coming twice a day now. So, when he heard footsteps coming down the stairs, he had perked up. When the footsteps hadn't stopped to inform the guards of their mission, Merlin pulled his legs closer to him. The only person who didn't have to explain themselves to the guards was Uther. He couldn't be coming down to question him again already? All he could do was try to look as small and harmless as possible as the footsteps came to a stop outside his cell.

The pause had been the first sign something was different. Uther usually just stormed in, not hesitating for a moment. It hadn't been enough to cause him to look up though, thinking that maybe the King just thought he was asleep and that he might be left alone for the night. When he had heard a voice murmur his name, Merlin's head shot up. He hadn't heard that voice for so long. He had thought that he was dreaming, but his dreams were never this nice anymore. He still hadn't been sure until Arthur had taken a hold of his hand, and he knew his prince was back with him.

His heart had almost stopped when Arthur professed his love for him. He was pretty sure that he had never been happier, even though he was still freezing and hungry and his throat burned. When Arthur ran back up and out of the dungeons, Merlin settled himself down near the bars, praying that Arthur would be back soon.

* * *

When Arthur burst dramatically into the council chambers for the second time that day, he was disappointed to find them deserted. After a brief pause, he began running again, this time towards his father's chambers. Here he wasn't able to burst in dramatically, as he was stopped by the two guards standing outside the room.

Once Arthur had regained his breath, he stood tall and said, "I need to speak to my father, if you would let me pass."

The guards nodded, allowing him to move forward and knock at the king's door. He needed to be careful about how he did this. One wrong move and Merlin would be stuck down in that cell for even longer, and he couldn't allow that. When he heard a muffled, "Come in." from the chambers, Arthur took a deep breath and walked inside.

"Arthur." Uther said, looking up from the food he had at his table, "I thought you retired."

"I was going to." Arthur said, trying his best to remain calm. "But I wished for a bath. I went looking for my manservant, Merlin, and learned that he was in the dungeons. I really must ask that you free him. He was only trying to follow my orders when he was locked up."

"The boy lied to me, and disobeyed a direct order from his king. He may not be released."

"Father, you must understand, I cannot let him die for my mistakes, and he will die if he is not released soon. As his master I ordered him to distract you while I freed Guinevere. He was simply being a loyal servant as always. His only fault is being too loyal to me, you cannot sentence him to death for that!"

"Arthur, I need to set an example. I will not simply ignore his crimes because you told him to act against his king. He should know that my law is more important than his master's orders. His actions put your life at risk, and I will not let that be overlooked."

"He has risked his life to save mine multiple times before! I will not stand by and watch him suffer when I know there is something I can do about it! I owe him!" Arthur said his voice rising as Uther remained incredibly calm.

"Son, I did not punish you for running because you had been put under an enchantment, but, if you push this issue any more I will have to punish you. He is merely a servant. It was his duty to protect you no matter what the cost. He failed to do that, and when he was given the opportunity to help put his actions to right, he refused, putting you in even greater harm."

"He didn't know where I was!" Arthur lied, "If you need to punish someone, punish me. It is my fault, and only my fault. He is sick, and will die if he is left in the dungeons much longer, please let me take him to Gaius! I'm sure he has learned never to disobey you, father, and I will make sure that he has and give him a suitable punishment when he is well, but he doesn't deserve to die for following the orders of his master!"

This seemed to cause Uther to stop and think. After a period of silence that had Arthur nearly bouncing on the tips of his toes as he waited for the response, Uther said "If you are telling the truth, and the boy really didn't know where you were, then he may be released. He has proved himself to be very loyal to you in the past, which is commendable, but I hope you can teach him that even though you are his master, my word is still law. He has been punished enough as I thought he had information that you say he didn't. He has always been slow, I hope you can teach him a little more about proper respect for his king."

Arthur couldn't help but smile as his father spoke. It had worked! He was glad Merlin had made such a good impression on the king. Arthur barely stopped himself from whooping and said, "Thank you, father. I swear he knew nothing about my location. I promise I will have a talk with him once he is well."

Uther nodded and wrote something on a piece of paper, then stamped his royal seal on it, before handing it to Arthur and going back to his meal. After a quick glance at the paper, Arthur realized it was the order for Merlin's release. Arthur clung to the paper as if it was the most important document in the world and rushed back towards the dungeons. He had been so focused on getting there, he didn't notice when a person strode into his path, and Arthur ran headlong into them.

"Arthur! Is that you?" The other person said, quite startled.

"Morgana?" Arthur asked, looking over at the person he had ran into, before checking the paper to make sure it was still safe. "It is good to see you again!" Arthur continued with a smile after he was sure the paper was intact. "I have to go, Uther's just signed the order for Merlin's release, but I will talk to you tomorrow! Oh, and don't worry about Guinevere, she's safe."

Arthur couldn't help but think that Morgana looked strangely upset at this news, but he didn't have time to worry about that as he hurried down to the dungeons. When he reached the bottom of the steps he showed the order to the guards, who pulled out the keys and took him down to Merlin's cell. Merlin had curled up near the bars, but stood at the sound of voices.

"Merlin!" Arthur called out, "My father agreed to release you as long as I teach you proper manners."

The look on Merlin's face when he heard what Arthur said was more beautiful than all the treasures down in the vaults put together as he replied, "Thank you so much Arthur."

The guards moved to unlock the door, and Merlin moved back slightly so they could. The guards seemed quite happy to be letting Merlin out, which didn't really surprise Arthur. No one in their right mind would want Merlin to suffer any longer. Once the door was open, Arthur bound in, and pulled Merlin into a tight hug. Merlin seemed slightly startled at first, but eventually wrapped his arms around Arthur as well. Even though Arthur wanted to kiss Merlin quite badly, he decided that should probably wait, considering the two guards were still watching them, and he really didn't need a repeat of what happened with Gwen. Hopefully, this time, he would actually be able to keep his love a secret until he took the throne. He figured it should be slightly easier, considering it was actually Merlin's job to be at his side most hours of the day, and it wouldn't appear strange for them to spend so much time together. He could even move Merlin into the chambers next to his, seeing as they were for his manservant, Merlin just hadn't needed them as he was living with Gaius. They had been empty ever since his old manservant had left. That way no one would know whether Merlin spent his nights in his own room or in Arthur's.

But, that would all have to wait until he was better. Putting his hand behind Merlin's back, Arthur helped Merlin move out of the dungeons and up towards the physician's chambers. It was slow going, seeing as they had to pause each time Merlin had to cough, which was much more often than Arthur liked. Finally, they made it up to Gaius' room, and Arthur barged in, as his arms were a bit to full of Merlin to actually knock.

"Arthur! Merlin!" Gaius shouted as Arthur practically dragged the tired Merlin into the room and over to the cot Gaius used to treat patients. "How did you get him out, Sire?"

"I spoke to my father, made him see sense." Arthur responded. "He is sick, can you help him?"

Merlin chose this moment to show Gaius just how sick he was, and started to cough once more. Gaius watched him worriedly, before moving to collect some different potions and equipment, saying "I will do everything I can, Arthur. The rest is up to him."

Arthur nodded and asked, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Gaius looked slightly alarmed by this question before he grabbed a bucket and thrust it towards Arthur telling him, "Fill this with water and bring it back to me. Then see if you can get any extra blankets, he needs to be kept warm."

Arthur nodded and rushed out to get the water. When he came back, Merlin was asleep, and Gaius was mixing yet another potion. Arthur set the water down and went to look for a maid who would know where the extra blankets were. It took him a while, considering most of the serving staff had already finished their work for the day, but he eventually found a woman who took him to a large room filled with extra blankets and linens. He gathered as many of the warmest looking blankets he could carry before rushing back to Gaius. Gaius took the blankets from him and began to lay them over Merlin, till his small form was almost invisible under the huge pile. Merlin looked even worse in the light. His skin was almost grey, and there were large dark circles under his eyes. His nose appeared to be slightly crooked, which Arthur thought was strange, and he was much, much to skinny. After studying Merlin's sleeping form for a moment, Arthur looked up to Gaius, who said, "There is not much we can do until morning. I checked over his body, he has a few bruises but nothing is broken or too badly injured. The cuts on his back are beginning to heal, though I do believe they will leave scars as they were not treated quickly enough. My main concerns are his lack of nutrition and that cough. If he can get over that and eat plenty of healthy foods, he should be fine."

Arthur nodded and said, "Thank you, Gaius. And thank you for not kicking me out. He is your ward, and it was my fault he was down there."

A stern look crossed Gaius' face, as he said, "Arthur, I let you stay because I know Merlin doesn't blame you for this. At times I believe that he may be too loyal to you. He has risked much to stay by your side, I hope you realize this and treat him better in the future. I have watched you grow all your life, and I am very proud of the man you have become, but you need to understand that your actions have consequences. Because of your position, you have the power to do great good, but this comes with a price. You must be careful about how you act. We were lucky you came back in time to save Merlin, but this may not always be the case. Do not take what you have for granted. Promise me this, and I will forgive you for putting Merlin's life in danger."

"I promise, Gaius." Arthur replied. He was slightly surprised by the old physician's speech. It had been quite some time since Gaius had lectured him.

"Then you are forgiven." Gaius said with a smile, "Now, it is late, I will send a servant to fetch you when Merlin wakes tomorrow."

"No." Arthur said, making Gaius jump slightly, "Sorry, but if it is alright with you, I'd rather stay. I want to be here in case he wakes during the night. It's the least I can do."

"If that is what you wish." Gaius replied, "I am going to turn in, is there anything you need before I do?"

"No, thank you Gaius." Arthur said pulling a chair over to Merlin's bedside and taking a hold of his hand as Gaius went around the room turning out the lights.

"I promised I would stay by your side until you got better." Arthur whispered to the sleeping Merlin, as he settled in to the chair, resting his head on the cot next to Merlin's.


	6. Chapter 6: The Path to Destiny

**AN: So, short last chapter. There really wasn't much to wrap up. Hope it's not too silly ;)**

**And thank you all so much for your support on this story. It was super fun to write with so many people reading! Well, at least more than most of my other stories. Anyhoo, I am still working on my Mirror Mirror like fic, if any of you are interested. When I finish that up I will start the Thief!Merlin fic, which actually has a plot now (gasp), well, in my mind it does. I still have to figure out an ending though...**

**As always, I don't own Merlin. But, as we know with quantum physics, everything is possible in some other universe, so maybe, some where out there, there is a me who does own Merlin. We may never know.**

Chapter 6: The Path to Destiny

Merlin slept for most of the next day. Gaius said he woke briefly when Arthur went to speak with his father, but Gaius had given him another sleeping potion after he had helped Merlin eat some soup and soft bread.

Arthur spent as much time in the physician's quarters as he could without drawing too much suspicion. He had lied to his father, saying he had been slightly injured on the journey back to Camelot so he would have an excuse to spend all his time by Merlin's bedside. He was there the second time Merlin woke, and had made sure that he got the best foods from the castle kitchens. He was looking less and less pale as the days went by, and had promised Arthur he would be up polishing his armor by the end of the week. Arthur had laughed and told him that he wouldn't be leaving the bed until he was completely better.

They didn't have a whole lot of time to discuss their new relationship, seeing as Gaius was almost always in the room with them, but when he did leave, Arthur would lock the door and they would discuss how they could best keep their feelings a secret now that they knew the other felt the same way. A lot of this talking just ended up in long make out sessions, that would often be interrupted by people looking for Gaius, or Uther coming down to check on Arthur.

On the fourth day Arthur realized why it was so important he never left Merlin's side. Merlin had still been asleep, and Gaius had gone out to check on some of his patients who couldn't make it to his chambers. Arthur, wanting something to do, had decided to go out and refill the water bucket, so when Merlin woke he wouldn't have to wait for the water he still desperately needed. His cough was slowly going away, but he still went into fits that would leave him completely breathless, and nearly made Arthur sick with worry. When Arthur returned, caring the full bucket carefully, the door was a jar. He knew he had closed it completely; it helped keep the warmth the fire provided in the small chambers. He figured it was probably just someone waiting for Gaius to return, but his warrior's instincts kicked in, telling him to be careful, especially after what had happened to the last person he had feelings for. He set the bucket down quietly before edging into the room.

As he peered into the room he didn't want to believe his eyes. Morgana was standing next to Merlin, a blade in her hands. Merlin still looked like he was asleep, ignorant to the peril he was in. Arthur had to act quickly, he had to protect Merlin.

"Morgana," He yelled, grabbing a hold of the hand with the blade, "what do you think you're doing?"

Morgana looked absolutely terrified at him finding her here. She muttered for a second before saying, "I was just coming down to check on Merlin. I was worried about him."

Arthur could almost feel the hatred that was pouring out of Morgana and towards Merlin as she spoke. It seemed as if these words were almost causing her physical harm. Arthur didn't let go of her, and asked, "Then what was the dagger for?"

"I… I…, ummm, he looked so still, I was going to check for breathing." Morgana said, looking anywhere but at Arthur.

"Don't lie to me Morgana." Arthur said, dragging her back towards the door. "I don't know why you want to hurt Merlin, but know, that I will never let it happen. I do not want to have to fight you. You are like a sister to me, and I love you, but I promised Merlin I would stay by his side, and I will keep that promise. I thought Merlin was your friend as well, I hope you can remember that friendship and forgive him for whatever he has done to wrong you."

"No." Morgana said, glaring not at Arthur, but behind him to where Merlin was still lying. "I can never forgive him. Can't you see what he is? He is a liar and a betrayer. He would sooner kill his friends than risk his own life. Someday you will understand, Arthur, and you will wonder why you didn't listen to me when you had the chance."

Morgana tried to lung past Arthur, but he held her still, away from Merlin. "What happened to the girl I looked up to?" Arthur said softly. "You showed me how to fight for what is right, even when it meant disobeying my father. You've changed Morgana. And no matter what Merlin has done, I will not abandon him, and after all that has happened I do not believe he will betray me. He risked his life so I could be happy, the least I can do is trust him."

Morgana growled in response, but seemed to have given up on getting to Merlin, as she just turned and left the room. Arthur sighed, and grabbed the water waiting just outside the door before moving back into the room. When he turned around, he was surprised to see Merlin was sitting up, watching him.

"How long have you been awake? You didn't hear all that, did you?" Arthur asked, blushing slightly.

"It was rather hard to sleep with you two yelling over me. Thank you for defending me, Arthur." Merlin said, his voice still slightly weak.

"Do you think you can tell me why Morgana hates you so much?" Arthur asked, filling a cup with water and bringing it to Merlin. A pained expression crossed Merlin's face as he said, "I'm sorry, Arthur, but I don't think I can. Not yet anyways. Soon, but not yet."

"Alright." Arthur said, pushing down the small doubt that stirred in his stomach. Morgana had been his friend for almost all of his life, and he had only met Merlin four years ago. Could he really put his trust in this man and not in the girl he saw as a sister? But then he remembered how it had felt to go without Merlin. How small and broken Merlin had looked when Arthur returned. And he thought about how Morgana had been acting lately. He had seen the way she glared at both Merlin and Gwen, and had even caught that same glare in his direction at times. Some of the things she said just seemed so impossible, and he was pretty sure she was still wearing the bracelet she had received from the sorceress Morgause, who had tried to kill his father at least twice. Merlin must have a good reason for not telling him, and he would just have to accept it. "But, I do expect to hear it from you at some point, do you understand, Merlin?"

"Yes, Arthur. And I believe the day when I will be able to tell you is coming. At least I hope it is." Merlin said. He looked determined but also sad. Arthur found himself wondering how much he didn't know about the man he was in love with. He had always felt there was something special about Merlin, was this secret he had to keep something to do with that feeling?

"I trust you Merlin. And I love you. What I said to Morgana was true; I'm not going to let anyone hurt you." Arthur said, taking his seat by Merlin's bedside.

"Thank you, Arthur. That means more to me than I could ever say." Merlin reached out a hand and grabbed Arthur's. They simply stared at each other for a moment before Arthur cleared his throat and said, "Is there anything else you need? Food? More water? I don't think I can mix up any potions, but anything else?"

"No." Merlin replied. "Well, there is one thing, I need you to stay by my side."

"That I can do." Arthur said, settling into his chair and keeping a hold of Merlin's hand as they discussed what they hoped the future would bring.


End file.
